According to 702, Zuma also announced that the Special Investigating Unit had been asked to investigate the Public Service Sector Education and Training -- seen as another attack on Nzimande.

According to Eyewitness News (EWN), Nzimande said: "One must respect how the president chooses to deal with that, but I just found it completely out of order and that's why I was not surprised that I was fired. All the signs were there."

Nzimande told Brown, "It would be good to ask the president why he did not give me the Fees Commission Report... After the report was given to the president, I was not consulted. I found it completely out of order."

He said the SA Communist Party (SACP) had been "provoked" before, under the administrations of former presidentsThabo Mbeki and Nelson Mandela.

"President Zuma is trying to provoke us, the SACP, to destroy the tripartite alliance," he said.

Nzimande said that Zuma would be a "non-factor" after December.

"President Zuma is going, he is going to be a non-factor after December" - Blade Nzimande on 702